1799 - Dædalus and Fox at Kosseïr


 
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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1799 Dædalus and Fox at Kosseïr 301

breastworks on a hill that commanded the town and harbour. As, however, the troops, the principal part of whom were Maltese, pressed into the service, were constantly swimming off to the British ships, the probability is that a very small British military force would have relieved the inhabitants of Suez from their oppressors. After staying in the neighbourhood of Suez until the latter end of June, Captain Rainier sailed back to Mocha ; at which anchorage he found Rear-admiral John Blankett, in the 50-gun ship Leopard, Captain Thomas Surridge, with two or three frigates and smaller vessels.

On the 14th of August, at daybreak, the 12-pounder 32-gun frigates Dædalus, Captain Henry Lidgbird Ball, and Fox, Captain Henry Stuart, part of the squadron above mentioned, while standing into Kosseir bay, boarded one of seven or eight dows or trading vessels, from the town of Kosseir bound to Yambo. From this vessel information was obtained, that 100 Frenchmen were stationed at Kosseir. Captain Ball being determined to attack the place, the two frigates at 9 a.m., made all sail, and at 10 a.m. discovered the town, with republican colours flying at the small 5-gun fort that defends the road. At 2 h. 30 m. p.m. the two frigates anchored about a quarter of a mile from the fort, and began a cannonade. At 3 h. 30 m. p.m., the Dædalus ceased firing and hoisted a flag of truce ; but, no notice being taken of it, the two frigates resumed their fire. At 5 p.m. Captain Ball sent in the boats, which cut out a dow from under the fort.

Throughout the night the two frigates each fired a gun occasionally ; and on the 15th, at 5 a.m., recommenced a heavy fire, and continued it until noon, still without any return. At this time several breaches were observed in the walls of the fort, and the lower town was nearly in ruins. At 4 p.m. the boats of the Dædalus, in the face of a heavy fire of musketry opened from the ruins of the town, cut out two dows. At 5 h. 30 m. p.m. the boats of both frigates, the launches of each with an 18-pounder carronade in them, led by Captain Stuart, landed to the southward of the town, for the purpose of destroying the wells from which the French troops obtained their water. The latter, however, had collected in such numbers, that the boats were obliged to return without effecting their object. The frigates continued the cannonade till night. On the 16th, at daylight, the boats again proceeded from the ships, with about 70 seamen and marines, commanded as before by Captain Stuart, and strengthened by two of the Fox's 6-pounders. Just as the party had landed, an unexpected flanking fire was opened upon them from a gun stationed in one of the breaches of the fort ; which, coupled with a heavy fire of musketry, obliged the British to return to their ships, with the loss of one man killed in the Fox's launch, and one of the 6-pounders left in the surf. In the forenoon the Dædalus and Fox got under way, and were soon out of sight of Kosseir, its battered fort, and ruined town.

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